NORTH MANCHESTER – With sectional play just a week away, the Manchester Squires were looking for some momentum.
With back-to-back wins over Whitko and Rochester, a win over Maconaquah on Senior Night would certainly give them a boost.
While the Squires did enough offensively, their defense assured them their third consecutive win as they held on for a 25-17 victory over the Braves Friday night in North Manchester.
“I thought our defense played extremely well,” said Manchester coach Greg Miller. “We thought we could take advantage of some things offensively that they do, but Maconaquah played tough.”
The win marked the first time that Manchester has won three consecutive games since the 2012 season when Brandon Baker was at the helm of the program.
“Our seniors put the team on their back and they played hard and encouraged the team,” said Miller.
Manchester senior quarterback Hayes Sturtsman impressed with his passing game, completing 15 of 24 attempts for 287 yards and three touchdowns with one interception. Sturtsman also rushed for a touchdown.
Sturtsman distributed the ball well, as he found Andrew McAtee (3 receptions, 136 yards) open for two touchdowns, Trey Clark (5 receptions, 94 yards) for a score, and Parker Yard caught the ball three times for 50 yards.
The defense, however, was the story of the night, as the Squires got the Braves to turn the ball over twice on their first two possessions of the game. The Squires finished with two forced fumbles and a recovery, as well as an interception.
Miller and his players will look to carry the momentum into their opening round matchup with Wabash in the Class 2A state tournament. The Squires faced the Apaches on Sept. 1 and won 38-16. But when it comes to postseason play, Miller says you can toss out the records.
“We played them earlier, but they’re a new team and we can’t take anybody for granted,” said Miller. “We’re going to practice hard, and going on the road for a sectional game is no easy task. Nobody wants to put their equipment away. We have got to make sure that we have our A-game as we travel this week.”
With Friday’s win, the Squires improved to 4-5, while Maconaquah fell to 2-7.
MANCHESTER 25,
MACONAQUAH 17
MAC 7 3 7 0 — 17
MAN 6 13 6 0 — 25
Mac Man
1st downs 12 14
Rushing yds 169 49
Passing yds 95 287
Comp-Att-Int 8-10-1 15-24-1
Total yds 264 336
Fumbles lost 2 0
Penalties/yds 7/83 15/120
(Manchester Leaders)
Rushing: Hayes Sturtsman 10-28, 1 TD; Delton Moore 8-21
Passing: Sturtsman 15-24-287, 3 TD, 1 INT
Receiving: Andrew McAtee 3-136, 2 TDs, Trey Clark 5-94, 1 TD, Parker Yard 3-50
